Imperial Kymurian Navy
The Imperial Kymurian Navy is Kymuria's primary naval warfare force. Established officially in 735KF by Cyroth the Great, the Imperial Kymurian Navy is the most prestigious, respected and largest naval force in the known world. The Imperial Navy is headed by various naval officers collectively known as The Imperial Admiralty. The supreme commander of all fleets is known as the Saffiric Commodore-General and this individual is responsible only to the monarch. The Commodore-General holds authority over all maritime matters, and often has a significant hand in political matters, although Saffira's inland location makes direct interference difficult. The Ducal Navy During the time of the Kingdom of Kymuria, the navy was referred to as the Ducal Navy, as it was customary that the various flotillas would each be administered (and often led by) Dukes of the Realm. Each Duke (or any ascending rank) was expected, if their holdings were coastal, to levy and maintain a fleet capable of defending their stretch of coastline. Though in reality it was rare (but not unheard of) that a Duke could maintain a navy capable of defending the shores from mere buccaneers and smugglers, let alone an organised foreign force. Though there have historically been noteworthy Ducal flotillas. For instance The Duke of Ubrus, Theoricson, possessed the largest Armada in Kymurian history, only being surpassed by that of Cyroth's 200 years later. Theoricson's legendary expedition to Outmost would become a haunting fable told to frighten any children deemed too adventurous for their own good. Though fleets such as that of Theoricson's are the exception, not the norm. For most of pre-Imperial Kymurian history the navy had been a periphery issue, the navy was secondary to the army and glory could not be won amongst the rat-infested hulls of the galleys. Though initially not an issue (as Kymuria's main strategic rivals tended to border them) the lack of any significant naval force would soon be realised (though realised too late) in the Adachi War. The then Ducal Navy was routinely and humiliating routed by the smaller navy of a second rate power. It was said that after one year of warfare and three hours of bombardment the Ducal Navy finally sunk its first enemy ship which had been blown off course and grounded itself directly outside of Kymurian held Xiphron Bay. Collapse The Imperial Navy was officially founded in 735KF by Cyroth. Cyroth's primary objective was to create a navy with some semblance of uniformity and coordination. Initially, he simply planned to unite all Ducal Flotillas under central authority, as he had done with the Imperial Army, but the reports of poor morale and shocking stories of brutal mercenary captaincies led Cyroth to create The Imperial Admiralty. Cyroth made preparations to methodically phase out the Ducal system, much to the delight of both the burdened dukes and the new centralised government. Though with the outbreak and continuation of the Frenntolic rebellion, Cyroth indefinitely delayed all naval reform until the troublesome rebels were contained and the vast dockyards of Dannenholm were restored. Until that time, The Imperial Admiralty would only monitor limited naval exercises, although the nascent organisation did impressively contribute to Cyroth's risky attack on the swamps of the Eshing Line. Following the Siege of Dannenholm, Cyroth was presented with a monumental challenge. The Flores and Frenntolic Rebellions left the Imperial Navy with a shortage of leadership, many of the experienced Dukes and nobility required to reform the navy had either perished in the revolts or were rotting in the darkest oubliettes of Saffira. To make matters worse, General Senishkov had taken off with the 'experienced' (experienced so far as it had raided small wharfs along the eastern Kymurian coast) Frenntolic fleet and had left for Anjuin where the then most dominant fleet resided, The Sultan's fleet. Without a sizeable fleet, Cyroth's Imperial ambitions would surely have been contained by a united Southern Kymurian-Anjuin alliance, which unfortunately for Cyroth had formed. Blue Squadron